Shoe strings



ly 1967 F. P. MlCHAEL, JR 3,330,011

SHOE STRINGS Filed Sept. 22, 1965 United States Patent 3,330,011 SHOESTRINGS Fred P. Michael, Jr., 4634 Nor-hill, Houston, Tex. 77009 FiledSept. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 489,295 4 Claims. (Cl. 24143) ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE A tip device for use on woven members to prevent fraying,tattering, or unthreading. The invention is particularly adaptable toshoe laces wherein the tip device is a heat shrinkable plastic sleeve,and the sleeve is heated by a flammable chemical for example. The heatcauses the sleeve to become afiixed to the shoe lace in a fixed positionthereon.

The present invention relates to improvements in shoe strings, and moreparticularly to a variable length shoe string including means forpreventing fraying, tattering, and unraveling of the tips.

Shoe strings are sold in various lengths in many stores and repair shopsto match the variable number of eyelets found in shoes. Mens shoes rangefrom two eyelet dress shoes to high-top work and military boots havingperhaps as many as twenty eyelets per side. Shoe strings are availablefor those needing the standard twenty-seven inch lace, while others musteither buy from only a few repair stores, or perhaps specialty shopssuch as military posts or the like. In any event, it will be appreciatedthat it is often difiicult to fin-d and buy the replacement laces neededin an emergency when a non-standard length is worn.

The manner of lacing a string through the eyelets is a matter of tastewhich often results in variation in the optimum length needed for aparticular pair of shoes, wherein the shortage of length is made up bytying a skimpy knot, or the excess in length is taken up by an oversizedknot. In either situation, the need can also be recognized for differentlengths of laces which can now only be found commercially in three inchincrements. This is not adequate in some instances.

Emergency requirements in replacing broken laces for a person owningmore than two pair of shoes is likely to entail the storage of a pair oflaces for each pair of shoes, and hopefully extras at the ofiice,factory, or perhaps in the family car. The total number of extra lacescan multiply, unless the owner is willing to run the risk of breakageand the resulting inconvenience. The present invention is adapted toobviate such requirements, and therefore has as one object the provisionof a pair of shoe laces which can be tailored to individualrequirements.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a shoe lace thatcan be cut to length without leaving an unraveled end sometimes found oncut woven members.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new andimproved shoe string which can be stored in bulk in repair shops or thelike -by providing a supply of the Woven member and a plurality of tipswhich can be located at will on the member.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a new andimproved shoe string of variable length wherein the length preferred bythe user is adjusted on the string, a tip is applied to protect the endof the string, and the string is cut at the applied tip to define a shoestring of the desired length.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a new andimproved shoe string tip which can replace the lost or broken tip onconventional laces to increase the life of the laces.

One object of this invention is to make available a shoe lace of excesslength having two slidable tips thereon which can be fixed to the laceby heating to define custommade laces.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become morereadily apparent after a reading of the appended specification anddrawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a shoe lace of indefinite length havinga fixed tip thereon and a slidable sleeve for defining the other tip,said sleeve being cut away to show construction of one embodiment of thepresent invention; and

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a member having tips at each end and apair of slidable sleeves which can be used to define a pair of laces onthe member.

Attention is first directed to FIG. 2 which illustrates an elongatemember 10 of predetermined length which has a pair of fixed tips 12firmly attached at the ends 10a. The tips 12 of the FIG. 2 embodimentare of conventional construction, such as plastic or the like, and theymay be wrapped about the elongate member 10 in a conventional manner.The elongate member 10 is ordinarily woven or braded cotton or syntheticfibers, and it may be flat or round. The elongate member 10 is normallyformed of materials which fray or tatter when the member 10 is cut, sothat it will be appreciated that the tips 12 are applied to the member10 to prevent unraveling. It is quite difficult to feed a lace throughan eyelet when the end of the lace is frayed and flutfed to a sizelarger than the eyelet.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the elongate member is approximatelytwice the estimated length of two shoe laces, or preferably about sixfeet long. A length of about six feet is adequate to provide laces for apair of shoes having up to eight or nine eyelets on each side of theshoe. Also, the length is more than sufiicient to permit the user to tiehis laces in any manner requiring extra length.

A pair of slidable sleeves 22 are placed on the elongate member 10 asshown in FIG. 2. The slidable sleeves are movable in either direction asindicated by the arrows 24. If the user needs a pair of laces, each ofwhich is a different length, he can first thread the member 10 throughthe eyelets of one shoe and obtain one desired length on the laced shoewith the remainder of the member 10 reserved for the other shoe of thepair. The present invention permits the user to cut the member 10 aftersizing the member 10 to the first shoe, and the remaining portion of themember is sufficient for use on the other shoe. For a betterunderstanding of the means provided herewith, attention is next directedto FIG. 1 which illustrates the elongate member 10 and the sleeve 22 inenlarged scale.

The sleeve 22 is assembled in the illustrated manner by slidably placinga heat shrinkable tubing 32 about the member 10. The tubing 32 issurrounded by a wrapping 34 of thin aluminum foil or some other materialproviding good heat transfer characteristics. The foil 34 provides abonding surface for a chemical mixture adapted to heat the tubing 32above a predetermined temperature to shrink the tubing 32. The chemicalmixture 36 is shown in FIG. 1 as extending fully about the foil 34 andin intimate contact therewith so that ignition will transfer heatthrough the foil 34 and to the tubing 32. V

The material selected for the tubing 32 may be any of the commerciallyavailable heat shrinkable plastics. Such heat shrinkable plastics aregenerally formed by subject- I ing a base polymer such as polyolefin,polyvinychloride,

will no longer melt, but will exhibit perfect elasticity above theircrystalline melting point. They can then be All of the above polymerswhen treated as described above and formed in the shape of a tube willshrink to about 50% of their original expanded diameter upon beingreheated. The minimum temperatureat which the below listed polymers,after treatment as described above, will shrink is as follows:

Temperature (approx) C.

Polymer, (treated as described above):

Of course, the materials may be raised above the minimum temperature toexpedite the shrinking process.

The preferred polymer is a treated polyolefin such as polyethylene. Aswill be implied by the above description of the tubing 32, the chemical36 must elevate the temperature of the tubing 32 above 135 C. Onemixture of chemicals found to be inflammable and capable of heating thetubing 32 above the required level without scorching is a mixture ofconventional model airplane dope, potassium nitrate and powderedsulphur. Of course, the mixture may be varied. By way ofexample and notlimitation, the sulphur may be replaced with or augmented by potassiumchlorate, lead dioxide, sodium nitrate, potassium phosphate, ammoniumnitrate and many others. The bonding material can be varied as will berecognized by those skilled in the art and is considered adequate if itmaintains the combustible chemical in proximity of the foil 34, althoughit may itself be flammable.

The present invention is used in the following manner. The shoe laceshown in FIG. 2 is threaded through the eyelets of one of a pair ofshoes and the knot is adjusted to suit the tastes of the user. One ofthe two slidable sleeves 22 shown in FIG. 2 is positioned as desired,relative to the knot, and an open flame is applied to the chemical 36coated on the sleeve 22. The flame may be supplied by a pocket lighteror ordinary match, and it need only be applied sutficiently to ignitethe combustible material 36. The material 36 burns and supplies adequateheat through the foil 34 to elevate the tubing 32 above the shrinkingtemperature. The tubing 32 shrinks, and firmly grips member 10. Afterthe combustible material 36 is consumed and foil 34 cools, foil 34 isslipped olf the tubing 32 and disposed of. The foil is easily removedbecause the tubing 32 shrinks within it and provides clearance forremoval. Of course, the foil may be made in the form of a wrap and willtherefore include a seam which can easily be unw pp It will be noted atthis juncture that the shoe lace in the first of the pair has beendefined, but it remains connected to the member 10.

The next step involves the cutting of the lace placed in the first ofthe pair of shoes and the severingof the remainder of the member 10. Thecut is best eflected at'the tubing 32 which is shrunk about the memberand a smallportion of the tubing may even be cut therewith to define aneat, clean cut across the woven member and the new tip placed thereon.The remainder of the member 10 and the other sleeve 22 is thereby madeavailable for use in the other shoe of the pair.

The other shoe is then laced in the same manner as described above andthe remaining slidable sleeve 22 is positioned as desired and tubing 32applied by ignition of the combustible material 36. A knife or othersharp implement is used to cut the member 10 and the excess isdiscarded. The foil is easily peeled from the tubing 32 and the tip maybe trimmed with the knife if thought desirable.

The device of the present invention can be used in other ways. Forinstance, a cobbler may find it desirable to store the member '10 inbulk wound about a reel or other device. The needed length of member 10can be threaded through the eyelets of the shoe, and a pair of slidabletips 22 taken from a storage receptacle and applied to the ends of themember 10. The two tips 22 are heated in the described manner to shrinkthe tips on the member. The

foil is then peeled from the tips 22 and the member 10 is then finishedas a complete shoe lace. By the means described, the shoe repair shopcan keep on hand cord in the stylish colors and needs only one supply oftips 22 to complete the shoe lace for all shoes. 7

Other variations of the present invention are within the scope of theappended claims, and the foregoing examples are given by way of exampleand not limitation.

What is claimed is: 1. A tip device for use on woven members to preventfraying, tattering, or. unthreading, comprising:

a heat shrinkable plastic sleeve adapted to fit about a woven memberadaptable for use as a shoe string; a heat conductive protective coverabout said sleeve;

and a flammable chemical carried adjacent said protective member forheating said sleeve to at least a predetermined temperature. 2. Thearticle of claim 1 wherein: the heat shrinkable plastic sleeve is formedof an electron beam radiated polyolefin. 3. A pair of shoe lacescomprising: a flexible member of a determined length; a pair of fixedsleeves firmly gripping the ends of said member; V a pair of sleevesslidably positioned on said member intermediate to its ends, saidsleeves being formed of an electron beam radiated polyolefin which isheat shrinkable; and, means for elevating the temperature of slidablesleeves so that they firmly grip the member for defining a pair of shoelaces of a predetermined length, said means including a combustiblematerial encircling and in intimate proximity of said slidable sleeves.4. A pair of shoe laces comprising: a flexible member of a determinedlength;

a pair of fixed sleeves firmly gripping the ends of said 7 2 member; apair of sleeves slidably positioned on said member intermediate to itsends, said sleeves being formed of a heat shrinkable plastic material;and,

means for elevating the temperature of said slidable sleeves so thatthey firmly grip the member for defining a pair of shoe laces of apredetermined length, said means including a heat conductive memberabout each of said slidable sleeves and a combustible chemical thereonfor heating said sleeves to a predetermined temperature.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS WILLIAM FELDMAN, PrimaryExaminer.

DONALD A. GRIFFIN, Examiner.

1. A TIP DEVICE FOR USE ON WOVEN MEMBERS TO PREVENT FRAYING, TATTERING,OR UNTHREADING, COMPRISING: A HEAT SHRINKABLE PLASTIC SLEEVE ADAPTED TOFIT ABOUT A WOVEN MEMBER ADAPTABLE FOR USE AS A SHOE STRING; A HEATCONDUCTIVE PROTECTIVE COVER ABOUT SAID SLEEVE; AND A FLAMMABLE CHEMICALCARRIED ADJACENT SAID PROTECTIVE MEMBER FOR HEATING SAID SLEEVE TO ATLEAST A PREDETERMINED TEMPERATURE.